


"Calm Yourself"

by asymmetricace



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drunkenness, Gen, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Byleth, Light Angst, Pre-Relationship, flayn is only actually in it for a little bit, minor plot spoilers (early game), minor spoilers for seteth and manuela's supports, seteth feels awful about flayn being kidnapped and gets drunk like thats it thats the fic, spoilers for seteth and flayn's paralogue/A support, technically takes place in blue lions route but that doesnt really matter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 21:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asymmetricace/pseuds/asymmetricace
Summary: Seteth had never been one for overindulgence, but one's only family being missing for an entire month can drive a person to do strange things.(or, Seteth is sad and tries to see if it's possible for him to get drunk)





	"Calm Yourself"

**Author's Note:**

> what is Up gang welcome to "seteth angst fic," beta'd by my sweet bro, the light of my life @PrinceClockwork
> 
> anyway please enjoy my wondering if seteth actually could get drunk and also my lamenting the lack of 'depending on how you play the game, flayn is missing for an entire month how does seteth deal with that' angst (bc i Crave seteth content)

“Calm yourself, Seteth,” Rhea had said. “Seteth, recall that impatience begets error. Please do your best to calm yourself,” she’d insisted. How in the Goddess’s name was he supposed to remain calm when his daughter, _his only child,_ was missing and had been for a week now? Rhea was the only one at the monastery that he could even confide in with the extent of his turmoil and all she had to say was “calm yourself.” He was frustrated, to say the very least. And, of course, the very least was all he could tell anyone of his situation. Seteth had heard some grumblings from the knights about his mobilizing the entire force. They thought it was excessive to send out the whole of the Knights of Seiros to search for Flayn. For his sister, they said. Seteth ached to tell them the truth, if only to put things into perspective. Surely they would understand the length of his efforts if they knew this was his daughter. His dear, sweet daughter, the person he loved most in the world.

The students had been worried, of course. They were all fond of Flayn, as they should have been. Some were…more than fond, but Seteth would make sure they knew their place. He would do anything to protect Flayn. It was absolutely destroying him that he was failing in that, his most important task. Some of the students didn’t seem to understand just how much he would do for her. Some of them seemed to think that Flayn had perhaps grown sick of his constant concern and simply ran away. Seteth knew, obviously, that Flayn would never run away from him and would tell him if he was being bothersome. He knew that. And he certainly knew that she hadn’t gone off and _eloped,_ of all things, as he had heard one student suggest. That was simply preposterous.

The only person who seemed to even remotely understand what Seteth was going through was Byleth. At least, that was his assumption. It was still difficult to read their expressions but he liked to think he was getting better at it. But, expressions aside, Byleth had come to him on that first free day after Flayn’s disappearance to try to invite him to tea. Well, it appeared as though they were going to invite him. They never actually got the words out, but he saw them conceal a package of his favorite tea as they approached. They’d promised Seteth they would do all they could to find Flayn before offering him several gifts. He tried not to show his surprise as Byleth handed him a new fishing float (how had they known he needed another?), a lovely handkerchief (how had they known his favorite color?), and what seemed to be every flower the greenhouse could grow. Standing there, burdened with gifts, was the first time he’d thought about anything besides how miserable he was or how scared Flayn probably was in a week.

Seteth made sure Byleth received his sincerest thanks and he was almost disappointed that he couldn’t pause and have tea with them. He did permit them to give a quick report on the information they had gathered for Dimitri. So far they had been able to rule out Hanneman and Alois as suspects. Seteth was glad to hear that. As much as he and Hanneman had their conflicts, he had to admit he rather liked the crestologist. He also had to admit he felt a sense of kinship with Alois after hearing the knight gush about his daughter. Seteth actually got the feeling Alois knew more about how he and Flayn were related than the man let on.

Byleth had told Seteth that they had a couple more leads to investigate in the coming weeks and Seteth couldn’t help the cold feeling that suddenly gripped his heart. The coming weeks? He wasn’t sure he would survive if it took weeks to find Flayn. The thought petrified him. He couldn’t handle it. He needed to find her. He needed to. He wouldn’t rest until it was done. His arms began to feel heavy with the gifts and he excused himself from Byleth’s presence to retreat to his office. He dumped, carefully, but dumped nonetheless, the pile of gifts on his desk and collapsed into his chair. He cradled his head in his hands, clenching his jaw.

He would find her.

He would.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

It was the 26th of Horsebow Moon and there was still no sign of Flayn.

Seteth was at his wit’s end. Rhea had been absolutely no help for the past weeks, beyond telling Seteth to calm down any time he got too vocal about his distress. He stuffed his turmoil down in her presence, choosing to remain silent instead. If Rhea wasn’t going to be helpful, he didn’t need to help her. She could do without his advice for now. Perhaps when his daughter was safe he would feel like being useful again, but for now he had other priorities. Those priorities didn’t happen to include anything particularly useful, such as sleeping or eating, but at least he could say he had considered almost every possible opportunity as to how and why Flayn disappeared.

Now it was late, and the dining hall would surely have stopped serving dinner but Seteth had finally realized that he hadn’t eaten all day. Perhaps there would be leftovers laying around somewhere…

He made it to the dining hall without incident, very grateful that he didn’t run into any students or, Goddess forbid, faculty. The only food left sitting out was a small bowl of fruit and a half loaf of bread. He frowned. The options were not fantastic, but he figured he ought to at least eat something. Seteth selected a nicely ripened piece of fruit and the bread and sat at the end of one of the tables. He slowly and steadily ate away at his meager meal, trying not to feel guilty for taking time to himself. As he finished the bread, his eye was drawn to a bottle that had been left a bit further down the table from him. After a moment of consideration, he moved to investigate the bottle and discovered that it was wine. He would have to have a talk with the kitchen staff; it was dangerous to leave wine out like that.

Seteth picked up the bottle, intent on returning it to the wine storage, but hesitated. He glanced at the potential hazard in his hand and decided for once in his life to make a rash decision. He popped the bottle open and brought it to his lips, downing as much as he could before he needed to pause for air. He knew alcohol didn’t affect him nearly as much as his peers, but it had been a rough month. He figured he’d earned a drink. And if that drink was almost an entire bottle of wine, so be it. The kitchen wouldn’t miss it. Once the bottle was empty, he discretely disposed of it. Then he had a positively stellar idea. He knew where Manuela kept her secret supply of liquor. She’d invited him for drinks several times since he’d last admonished her for her behavior. Surely she wouldn’t miss some of it. His mind made up, Seteth headed for the infirmary.

He was going to take a page out of Jeralt’s book and drink his sorrows away.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Byleth couldn’t sleep.

Flayn’s disappearance was weighing especially heavily on their mind that night. Hanneman, Alois, and Shamir were certainly innocent, they had proved that. Manuela was mysteriously gone which was mildly worrisome, but Byleth hardly suspected that she was the guilty party. Tomas seemed to be trustworthy enough although he still had a strange air about him, but that wasn’t anything new. At this point in the investigation, the prime suspect was Jeritza, another person Byleth hadn’t seen in weeks. They were going to deeply investigate him next, sincerely hoping that he would lead them to Flayn.

Poor Flayn… Byleth didn’t want to assume the worst, but they couldn’t shake the fear that they were too late. That was the thought that finally urged them out of bed. They would do no one any favors by laying around and pondering hypotheticals. They could at least go for a walk to expend this restless energy. They didn’t even bother with getting properly dressed, deciding it was fine to roam the monastery in just their nightshirt and trousers. It wasn’t like anyone else was going to be out so late.

Byleth found themself subconsciously following their typical patrol-like route. They passed by the first floor of the dormitories and checked on the greenhouse. Satisfied that no one was inside, they continued on past the fishing pond to investigate the marketplace and then the stables. Typically at that point they would stop and chat with the gatekeeper, a lovely young man. Byleth assumed that even he had to rest sometimes, though. Byleth paused at the stables instead to gently pet the head of a horse who seemed to be as anxious as they were. They continued on to the knight’s hall, swung by the graveyard, and moved through the entrance to the reception hall to patrol the classrooms. They then entered the dining hall, for once quiet and empty. They stopped at one table and dusted some bread crumbs off and onto the floor. It was odd that those on cleaning duty had missed that spot, but it had been a strenuous month for all of Garreg Mach.

The teal-haired professor made sure that no one was lurking in the shadows of the large room before going on to the entrance hall. They went through the courtyards, up through the reception hall, and went up the bridge to the cathedral. The gate to enter wasn’t open at night but they could still appreciate the beauty of the massive building. They still weren’t too sure about the whole ‘religion’ thing but they had to admit that the Church of Seiros had some incredible architecture to its name. The cathedral was one of their favorite sights on the grounds, towers reaching high into the air.

Byleth cast one last longing glance at the building before heading back across the bridge. They ascended the staircase to the floor that housed the professors’ offices and were on their way to the library when they were distracted by a loud _crash_. They slowed their pace, immediately on high alert, and carefully moved down the hall, peeking into each office they passed. The captain’s quarters and Seteth’s office were quiet. Hanneman’s office was empty but as they were standing in the doorway something touched the back of their foot. It took all their willpower not to jump and they slowly turned, looking down. There was a small bottle lying next to them. It must have rolled over from somewhere. _Manuela…? _Byleth thought, reaching down and gently picking up the bottle. There wasn’t any lipstick around the top but that didn’t quite mean anything. They held onto the bottle and slowly crossed the hall, unsure of what scene would await them in the infirmary.

They hesitated at the doorway, looking down at the mess on the floor. Byleth hadn’t known Manuela especially long, but they hadn’t pegged her for the type to drink what looked like all of her alcohol in one sitting and leave the trash littered about. They entered the infirmary and froze when they recognized the person slumped over the small table.

“…Seteth.” Byleth meant to ask, but it came out as a confused statement. 

Seteth’s head jerked up, his posture stiffening. He looked around the room, bewildered, before his gaze finally landed on Byleth. They could tell even in the dim light that the man’s cheeks were flushed. They would have been intrigued by the sight if they weren’t so concerned. Seteth shakily rose to his feet, attempting to conceal his unsteadiness by leaning on the table.

“Ah, professor!” The green-haired man called. “I… I have some-…something to ask of you!”

Byleth watched as Seteth adjusted his grip on the bottle he held in one hand and pushed himself off the table. He took a few stumbling steps, _giggled _at himself, and took several more steps before all but collapsing onto Byleth. They blinked, startled, and quickly shifted to support the man’s weight. They could feel a surprising amount of muscle under the sleeves of his robes and they were immediately rather embarrassed about the situation. Seteth tried to rest his head on their shoulder, but Byleth held him out at arm’s length.

“Are you drunk?” They asked, frowning. Well, they thought they were frowning.

“Remar-… Remurk-… Somehow, yes!” Seteth laughed, bringing his half-finished bottle up to take another drink. Byleth stopped him.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Byleth said sternly.

“Have I? Ah, you’re prob’ly right.” Seteth took another glance at the bottle before unceremoniously dropping it to the floor. Byleth silently thanked the Goddess that the glass didn’t break on impact. The contents had spilled, but that was easy enough to clean up. They were mostly concerned with Seteth’s condition.

This was not the man they thought they knew. They knew the upstanding advisor to the archbishop, a man who stood by his principles so resolutely that he was often accused of being stuck-up. The Seteth they knew wasn’t the kind of man to even casually drink, let alone go on a bender. Looking around the room, Byleth wasn’t even sure Seteth should be conscious. They had never been one for alcohol personally, but they had spent enough time around their father to know how much a grown man should be able to drink. This was _far_ beyond that amount.

“How are you still standing?” Byleth asked, maintaining their grip on the man’s shoulders.

“That _is _the question, isn’t it? I’m not so sure myself… Well, no…” Seteth paused, looking thoughtful. “I suppose I do know. Y’see… You _see_, alcohol has not… It’s never affected me as much as others. Manuela, she… She says it isn’t fair. I… What was I saying?”

“You don’t usually get drunk.”

“Right! Yes! I don’t! I can’t!”

“You are, though.”

“Ah. I suppose that’s true.” Seteth frowned. “I was…curious. There was some…some wine left out in the dining hall and I… I drank that. I’ve never cared much for wine. But I did drink it… And then… Oh, and then I came up here. Yes, that’s what happened.”

Byleth tried to work through the logic of his story. “So, you had some wine and then decided to take yourself to the infirmary?”

“No, no, no… I knew… Manuela showed me where she hides her lick-… her li-… her booze. I knew where to find it. And I… I was curious!”

“You said that.”

“Right, yes, well, I was curious as to… I wanted to see…” Seteth kept trailing off, sounding like he forgot what he was saying in the middle of his sentence.

“You wanted to see how much it would take to get you drunk?” Byleth guessed, not really wanting to hear the answer.

“Exactly!” Seteth cheered, pumping his fist in a small but triumphant gesture. “I started drinking and I… Well, I kept drinking. Oh, dear. Manuela will not be plu-… She won’t be happy.”

“No, no she won’t.”

Seteth tried to step away from Byleth but he stumbled and lurched to the side. Byleth quickly reached out to steady him, saving the man from the embarrassment of falling flat on the floor.

“I think you need to sit down.” Byleth said, maneuvering Seteth back over to the table. They pulled the chair out for him and he all but fell into the seat. They pulled the other chair over to sit across from Seteth, staring him down intently.

“Why are you looking at me like that? That’s more serious than your usual expression, professor. Byleth? May I call you Byleth?” Seteth tried to subtly shy away from the look.

“Sure.” Byleth said, keeping their gaze steady.

“Excellent. I do not like the way you’re looking at me, Bleth.”

_Bleth._ Byleth almost laughed. Instead, they stared Seteth down for several moments longer before leaning back in their chair. “I’m trying to figure out why you’ve done this to yourself,” they finally said.

“Hm… Must there be a reason?”

“Yes. I know you have one. You don’t do things without reason.”

“Fair point.” Seteth shook his head and then paused, almost as if the action hurt him. “I told you I was curious.”

Byleth just stared at him.

“Not good enough? What do you want me to say? I heard Jeralt talking about his drunken adventures and wanted to…to try it for myself? I was…tired of feeling what I’ve felt these last few weeks as…what is her name…? As…Rhea! That’s it. As Rhea does nothing to help find my… To find Flayn?” Seteth choked up slightly as he continued to speak. “…ah, I suppose that might be it…”

“So, it’s about Flayn then?”

“Of course it’s about Flayn!” Seteth cried, prompting Byleth to motion for him to be quieter. “She has been missing for…for almost an entire moon! And I can do nothing! And I’m… I’m so tired, Byleth…”

“You thought you’d try drinking to get away from all that.” It was sad. Byleth was worried but they couldn’t even pretend they had any idea what Seteth was going through. They hardly felt emotions to begin with. They couldn’t imagine how it must feel to have a close family member mysteriously ripped away. Feeling suddenly bold, they reached out and gently grabbed Seteth’s hand. He looked down at their joined hands, something unreadable on his face.

“You, um… I… You could say that was my intention…” Seteth mumbled, bring his other hand to grip Byleth’s wrist. They were surprised to see him initiating physical contact but they also had a feeling that Seteth wouldn’t be remembering much of this night.

“And how do you feel now?”

"To be quite honest, I feel rather sick.” Seteth slouched in his chair, hanging his head. “I… Oh, yes, I feel rather ill.”

“That sounds about right. Let’s get you to bed.” Byleth stood, not releasing Seteth’s hand. They would have to come and clean the infirmary later but it was unlikely that Manuela would return before that could happen. Their priority at the moment was Seteth’s safety.

“I could just sleep here. If I could sleep…” Seteth said, looking over his shoulder at the infirmary bunks.

“I can’t let you do that.” Byleth said firmly. They really couldn’t let him do that. There was no telling when Seteth would wake after he finally crashed. Anyone could walk by and see him passed out in the infirmary, which would surely result in far more questions than Seteth would want to answer. “Let’s get you back to your room.”

“My room…” Seteth said quietly.

“Yes. Come on.” They hoisted the man out of his chair, careful to steady him and take some of his weight. They ignored his quiet protests and shuffled the two of them out into the hallway. It was only then that Byleth realized they had never learned where Seteth’s room was. Did he even have a room? Did he sleep in his office?

“…you’re…you’re surprisingly strong, professor…” Seteth muttered, leaning heavily on the teal-haired mercenary.

Byleth hoped they weren’t blushing. They weren’t even sure if they could blush. They’d never really been in a situation where they would consider that. They needed to focus on the task at hand, this wasn’t the time for their confusing feelings about Seteth. “Seteth. Where _is _your room?”

Seteth went quiet.

“Seteth. Where am I taking you?”

“I… I can’t recall. It… Where are we?”

Byleth let out a deep sigh. If Seteth couldn’t remember where his own quarters were, they most certainly couldn’t get him there. But they couldn’t risk leaving him anywhere else… Unless…

“You’re coming with me.” Byleth said, turning them down the hall and starting towards the stairs.

Seteth did little to protest, his energy fading quickly. Halfway down the stairs, he stopped helping entirely. His knees buckled and he dropped all his weight onto Byleth, almost sending them both to the floor if not for Byleth’s quick reflexes. They leaned against the wall, trying to readjust how the man was leaning on them, but Seteth refused to cooperate.

“You have to help me. I can’t carry you.” Byleth felt like they were scolding him. What a strange night this had turned out to be.

Seteth mumbled something incoherent and Byleth had to bite the inside of their cheek so they didn’t groan out loud. He looked up at them, wearing a strange expression, and raised his hand to their face. They flinched away at the gentle touch, wholly unprepared for whatever Seteth thought he was doing.

“Damn you and your unexpected bulk…” Byleth hissed under their breath. “Alright. Come on, we’re getting you to bed. If you’re not going to walk, you’ll have to get on my back.”

“…I would rather not…”

“You don’t get a choice.” Byleth steeled themself and hoisted Seteth onto their back. The man squawked, _squawked, _as Byleth hooked their arms under his legs.

“Professor, please…” Seteth whined, throwing his arms around Byleth’s neck despite his complaints.

Byleth struggled down the rest of the stairs, having to be extremely careful as to not topple over, and luckily it got easier to maneuver once they were on solid floor. Seteth was babbling nonsense into their ear half the time, much of it about how much he was worried about Flayn. They tried to tune him out the best they could. They knew the man had his secrets, that much was obvious, and they would hate for him to reveal anything he would later regret. They felt awkward enough bringing him back to their own quarters and they still couldn’t believe they had decided to do that.

They lugged Seteth across the cobblestone, past the classrooms and the training grounds, their head in constant motion to make sure no one could see the pair. Byleth had to more or less nudge their door open with their foot so they didn’t risk dropping Seteth, who was still chattering away about nothing in particular. They dropped him onto their bed (for some reason the thought of Seteth on their bed made them feel…uncomfortable?) and went back to close their door. When they turned, Seteth was struggling into a seated position.

“Wha-… Where…?” Seteth attempted to ask.

“You wouldn’t tell me where your quarters were,” Byleth said, going over to the pitcher of water they kept and pouring a glass, “so, I brought you to mine.”

Seteth may have been blushing, or his face might have still been just that flushed. “Ah.” He looked around the room, taking it in. “Yes, I see…”

Byleth handed him the glass of water. “Drink this. You’ll thank me later.” They stood in front of him until the glass was emptied and then placed it back beside the pitcher.

“Professor, I… I can’t get my robes wrinkled. I cannot.” Seteth tugged at his collar, looking down at his sleeves.

Byleth just stood there, staring at him. What did he want them to do about that? Did he want them to disrobe him? The thought embarrassed them. Of course, looking at Seteth’s outfit, they weren’t even sure where to start if that was his desire. They refocused from their moment of panic to see Seteth fumbling with his top layer of clothing. He looked like he was about to get himself stuck. Byleth sighed and made their way over to him. They grabbed one of his arms and slowly pulled the gauntlet off, glancing at Seteth with a look that they hoped asked if he was fine with this. Seteth said nothing, he just stared at them, and so they assumed it was fine to continue. They removed his other gauntlet and set the both of them over on their desk.

They went back over to Seteth but hesitated in front of him. He looked at them imploringly.

“Seteth, I… I’m not sure how your clothes work.” Byleth admitted, sheepishly looking away.

Seteth looked down at himself again, as if the thought had just occurred to him. “Oh, I suppose you’re right… I can… I can try.” Byleth watched him ‘try’ for several minutes before deciding they got the general idea of it and intervened.

It took far more struggling than they expected and far more touching of Seteth than they would have liked, but they finally had Seteth’s top and cape in hand. They gently folded the garments over their desk chair. Byleth, after a moment of consideration, also slipped the man’s boots off and set them up on the floor.

“Thank you…” Seteth said quietly, looking rather pitiable sitting in just his shirtsleeves and trousers with a downcast expression. “I’m… I’m suddenly feel quite tired.”

“Sleep.” Byleth commanded, urging Seteth to lay down.

Seteth’s eyes were closed as soon as his head hit the mattress. Only then did Byleth realize that if they wanted to get any decent sleep that night they would have to lie down with Seteth. It couldn’t be that awkward, could it? They really missed the days where they didn’t have to think about things like this. They did their best to not think about it in the moment as they sat down on the bed and kicked off their shoes. Byleth laid down, turning their back to Seteth, and attempted not to touch him. That proved to be a difficult task to say the least, as the monastery beds were most certainly not built for two grown adults.

Byleth had just resigned themself to the fate of having to press their back against Seteth while they slept when the man threw an arm over their side. They froze, hardly daring to breathe, as Seteth pulled them closer. His breath was warm against their neck and his arm was firm against their chest. They felt bad, perhaps guilty, for enjoying the sensation when the man clearly was not in his right mind. However, there was nothing they could really do about it so they settled into bed and tried to get as much sleep as possible.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Seteth awoke with a start and immediately regretted any motion. His head was positively pounding and it hurt to open his eyes, so he decided to keep them shut. Was he dying? He couldn’t even remember what had happened before he fell asleep. Perhaps he had even passed out. He didn’t know for certain. If he was dying, this was certainly a horrible way for his long, long life to end. He tried to open his mouth to call out to someone, anyone, but found his throat was drier than he ever could have imagined. Against his better judgement, he forced his eyes open and surveyed his surroundings. He was horizontal. He was in a bed, so that made sense. It wasn’t his own bed, he knew immediately, but that was a problem for later. However, with the realization that Seteth wasn’t in his own bed came the realization that he was in someone else’s quarters.

He pushed himself into a seated position to better look at his surroundings, ignoring his body’s protests. He noticed his robes draped over a chair before he realized he wasn’t wearing said garments and suddenly felt very exposed. He was in an unfamiliar room, partially undressed, and had been sprawled across an unfamiliar bed. Where was he? Why was he here?

Seteth carefully rose to his feet, cradling his aching head, and walked over to the desk. Next to his gauntlets sat a glass of water, a slip of paper, and a bundle of herbs. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust to reading, but he picked up the paper.

_Good morning. Don’t freak out. You probably have a really bad hangover. Drink this water and take these herbs I got from Manuela’s office. I’ll cover for you until you wake up. – Byleth _

A hangover? Seteth read the note several times, a new aspect confusing him on each pass over the words. It solved one mystery, at least. He was in Byleth’s quarters and that was certainly not the worst place he could have woken up. He was still incredibly confused as to how he had wound up there, but surely Byleth would explain later. In the meantime, he followed their directions, gulping down the water like a man who hadn’t had a drop to drink in over a century. He definitely felt like it.

Seteth made the professor’s bed for them and idly wondered how late in the day it was. It bothered him immensely that he couldn’t recall the events of the previous night. If Byleth’s note was to be believed and he truly _did _have a hangover… He shuddered at the thought. He continued desperately trying to come up with any recollections of his actions as he donned his robes and froze as he pulled on his second gauntlet. He did remember something after all. He’d gone to the dining hall for a late night snack and then… Then he’d found the loose wine and, oh, Goddess, he drank it all. And then, _oh, Goddess,_ he’d gone to raid Manuela’s secret liquor stash. The last thing he remembered was drinking alone in the infirmary, feeling incredibly sorry for himself.

Well. That answered the question of why he couldn’t remember how he got to Byleth’s room. The concern with ‘how’ was quickly replaced with concern for ‘why,’ and Seteth knew he had to find the professor as soon as possible. He couldn’t bear the thought that perhaps he’d… No, he wouldn’t even think it. He had to find Byleth.

Seteth cracked the door open just enough to make sure there was no one within eyesight and quickly slipped outside, making an substantial effort to not appear like he had just exited the professor’s quarters. The grounds were quiet. The students must have been in class. Seteth did his best to disguise the fact that every step was agony and he could hardly stand to keep his eyes open as he checked the fishing pond just to be sure Byleth wasn’t there. Satisfied that the professor was not skipping their own class in order to fish, he headed for the classrooms. On his way, he was stopped by one of the knights.

“Oh, Seteth! There you are! Lady Rhea has been looking for you for hours!” The knight exclaimed.

Hours? Seteth needed to know what time it was. But he couldn’t just ask. That would be beyond suspicious. Byleth had better have the answers he desired.

“Ah, yes. I will go meet with her shortly. I have some business of my own I must attend to first.” Seteth said with a quick nod. He dismissed the knight and continued towards the Blue Lions classroom with renewed purpose. He stopped just inside the doorway, leaning against the wall. He didn’t want to interrupt any instruction, however pressing his personal matters seemed.

Byleth looked up towards Seteth and motioned for him to wait a moment. Seteth nodded in return, trying to ignore the stares of the students who turned to see who the professor was gesturing at. After only a few minutes, Byleth stopped lecturing. They nodded towards Seteth, inviting him to speak.

“I am sorry, students, but I am afraid I must borrow your professor for a bit. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Seteth announced, doing his best impression of himself. He felt like a shell of a person. If alcohol was truly what had done this to him, he vowed to never drink in excess again.

There were only mild complaints as Byleth took their leave of the classroom, walking in step with Seteth. The green-haired man couldn’t help but notice that Byleth was leading him away from any people. He appreciated that.

“Please explain.” Seteth practically begged once they had stopped moving.

Byleth hesitated. “I didn’t let you do or say anything you’d regret.”

Seteth paled. Those were not the words he was hoping this conversation would start with.

“That isn’t to say you tried to.” They quickly said, trying to reassure him. “…should I start from the beginning?”

“Please, professor.”

Byleth hesitated again. Seteth really wished they would stop doing that. When they finally began, they spoke in a hushed tone despite no one else being nearby. “I was having trouble sleeping last night. I suppose that was the same case for you. I decided to go for a walk, do some light patrolling of the grounds. When I got to the offices, there was a noise. So I tried to find where it was coming from. That’s when I found you.”

“…in the infirmary?” Seteth hazarded a guess.

“In the infirmary.” Byleth nodded. “You were kind of…doubled over the table and there were bottles everywhere. It didn’t take long to figure out that you were drunk.”

“Preposterous.” Seteth scoffed although his fears had just been confirmed. “Alcohol hardly affects me.”

“That’s what you said. You also said you wanted to see how much it would take to intoxicate you. I was surprised you hadn’t passed out already. My father can’t even drink that much.”

Seteth couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How much did he have to drink? It was no wonder he felt so ill upon waking. He stared at his boots, feeling rather embarrassed.

“I tried to take you back to your room but you forgot where it was.”

“I…” Seteth wasn’t sure what to say. He had forgotten where his own quarters were located. If he didn’t desperately need to know the details of the night for his own sanity he would have begged Byleth to stop there.

“I took you back to my quarters instead. I couldn’t just leave you there.” Byleth said with a shrug as if this were a simple matter. “No one saw us, don’t worry.”

“Why should I worry that someone saw us walking together?” Seteth asked tentatively. “I am not ashamed that we have developed a sense of camaraderie recently.”

“Well, that’s not quite it. You…weren’t exactly walking. I tried to let you lean on me but you started to get tired…”

“Please, don’t say I…”

“I had to carry you on my back.” 

Seteth was mortified. He had been so inebriated that he couldn’t even support his own weight. Had Byleth not found him when they did, there was no way to know what would have happened, who could have seen him.

“I got you some water and helped you get ready for bed and—”

“Thank you, professor, that is enough.” Seteth cut them off. “Thank you, as well, for your assistance. I am in your debt. I am sorry to have troubled you with my own poor decisions. I must get back to work now.”

Byleth reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“Is something the matter, professor? Did you want something else from me?” He tried not to think about how Byleth maintained their grip on his arm after they had his attention.

“We’ll find her. _I’ll_ find her.” Byleth said, looking deep into Seteth’s eyes. “I know you’re worried, but I promise…”

Seteth was quiet for a significant moment. His cheeks felt warm, but he decided to blame it on the hangover. “…do not make promises you cannot keep, professor.”

“You called me by my name last night. It’s ok if you continue to do that.” Byleth tightened their grip on his wrist. “And I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll find her. For you.”

“…thank you, Byleth…” Seteth said quietly. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I really must be going. Lady Rhea has apparently been searching for me for hours. I fear she thinks I have gone missing as well.”

Byleth actually laughed slightly. The sound was sweeter than music. “That makes sense. It _is _after noon. You slept a lot longer than I expected you to.”

“_After noon_?!” Seteth cried. “I… I have to go.” He bid Byleth farewell before all but running off, trying to not look as panicked as he felt.

Rhea intercepted him as soon as he entered the audience chamber. “Seteth,” she almost snapped, “where have you been?!”

“My apologies, Lady Rhea.” Seteth fell into a deep bow. “Byleth had needed my assistance with something and I am afraid we lost track of the time.” 

“I had not realized you and the professor were so close.” Rhea’s expression was either accusatory or curiously amused, Seteth always had difficulty telling the two apart on her. “It is not like you to lose track of time.”

“It will not happen again.”

“Very well. In that case…”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Two days had passed.

Seteth was overjoyed. Really, ‘overjoyed’ was an understatement but he wasn’t sure if there was a word that properly expressed his relief and elation at having his daughter returned to him. Byleth had kept their promise. They had found Flayn. He could hardly believe it, even as he sat next to Flayn’s bed in the infirmary, gently grasping her hand as she slept. He only wished that he had been there for the fight in the underground chamber. He would have made sure the bastard responsible for this hadn’t gotten away.

A sudden hand on his shoulder almost made Seteth jump out of his skin. He turned quickly, on alert, but allowed himself to relax when he realized it was Byleth behind him.

“Ah, professor, it’s you.” Seteth said in a hushed tone.

Byleth simply inclined their head toward the door, signaling that they wanted him to follow them. He lightly squeezed Flayn’s hand before rising from his chair. He allowed Byleth to lead him into his own office and closed the door behind them.

“I told you I’d get her back.” Byleth said, hardly above a whisper.

“Professor… Please, allow me to express my eternal gratitude once more. Flayn is safe and sound, and I have you to thank for that. Mere words could never express how thankful I am. I…I am indebted to you.” Seteth said, careful to not let his voice be overcome with emotion. He feared he would start to choke up and the last thing he wanted was to cry in front of Byleth.

“I’m just happy she’s safe.”

“Yes, indeed. I…I, too, am overjoyed.” That word still didn’t seem like enough.

Byleth hesitated for a moment, looking thoughtful. Seteth was just about to ask why they looked so pensive when they asked, “But why was Flayn taken to begin with?”

Seteth knew that question was coming. He was honestly surprised he had avoided it for as long as he had. But, now that it had been asked, it was time for Seteth to do what he did best: revealing only _just enough_ of the truth.

“Her kidnapper was the masked knight who vanished during the Rite of Rebirth. The one known as the Death Knight,” Seteth said, as if he hadn’t gotten this information from Byleth themself before they were ushered from the infirmary. “Considering the circumstances, it seems plausible to assume that his true identity is Jeritza. And we cannot forget about the mysterious Flame Emperor… His true motives are yet unclear.”

Byleth nodded, mostly to show that they were following along. They already knew this information, and Seteth knew that they knew, but it helped him to recapitulate it.

“However, I have an idea. I believe the enemy may have been after Flayn’s blood. The blood that flows through her veins is special. It is extremely rare…and extremely dangerous. If enemies who know the secrets of Flayn’s blood have appeared, our only option is to leave the monastery and go into hiding.”

“Brother, wait,” came a voice from the doorway. Seteth hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Flayn?!” Seteth cried, turning to face his daughter. His _sister,_ he reminded himself. They weren’t alone. “What are you doing here? You should be resting!”

Flayn stood her ground, looking quite displeased. “I do not like the path of your thoughts. I do not wish to live in some lonely, remote location where I never get to see anyone. Not ever again.”

“If we stay here, you may be targeted again! Wouldn’t it be better for the two of us to live in peace?” Seteth didn’t want to have this argument now, especially in front of Byleth. However, Flayn would only be more upset with him if he refused to hear her.

“Even if we ran off to some new, secret location, there is no guarantee that they would not find us. That is why I believe it would be safest to stay in the monastery, where we are surrounded by capable knights and professors.”

“I see your point, I do. However…” Seteth was really doing his best to try to forget that one of his colleagues was present for this.

“You know it is the only reasonable option.” Flayn said, almost sternly. “What if I were to join the professor’s class?”

Seteth fell quiet.

“That is a great idea.” Byleth offered, stepping into the conversation. 

“You think so too? I am so very pleased to hear that! With a professor like you nearby, I shall be safe no matter what foe should appear!” Flayn was clearly excited about the prospect and Seteth found he didn’t have the heart to disagree with her. Not after being without her for so long. 

“I see,” he said, “I am afraid you have a good point. Professor… Due to my position, I have closely scrutinized everything about you. After all that has happened, I must admit that you are indeed…a trusted ally. So, what say you? Can I entrust you with Flayn’s safety?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Byleth looked like they were amused by at least one of the statements he had just made. Granted, ‘trusted ally’ was a rather detached way to refer to someone who had saved him from incredible embarrassment just several nights prior, but it was also an accurate way to describe them.

“Flayn,” Seteth said, turning to face her, “I am glad that we have worked this out. Now, will you _please_ return to the infirmary? You really should not be up and about yet…”

“Yes, I am sorry, brother.” Flayn dipped her head slightly. “I must admit that I heard you leave with the professor and was quite curious as to what you were going to talk about.”

“It is not proper to eavesdrop.” Seteth said with a light frown.

“My apologies, brother… I will return to bed.” Flayn bowed politely before exiting the office.

“…she’s a good kid.” Byleth said, turning back to Seteth after she was gone.

“Yes… Yes, she is…” Seteth suddenly felt overwhelmed with love for his daughter. “Honestly, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me… For my family…”

“I keep my promises.”

“No, professor-… _Byleth_, thank you. Thank you for everything. I… I am sorry that I had such an ill opinion of you at the beginning. You…” Seteth paused, unsure of exactly what he was trying to say. “…thank you.”

Byleth looked uncertain, as if they weren’t sure how to react.

“I should make sure Flayn got back to the infirmary safely. I am glad we got a chance to debrief. Perhaps we shall talk more later.”

“Later.” Byleth agreed.

“Excellent. I will see you…later.” Seteth gave a curt nod and exited his office. He had almost made it three steps into the hallway before he was stopped by someone grabbing his hand. He turned and saw Byleth much closer than he expected them to be.

“I’ll always protect you,” Byleth said, an intense look in their usually solemn eyes, “you and your family. I promise that. I admit that I…am not entirely familiar with a lot of emotions… But, I know you’re important. And I protect what’s important to me.”

Seteth knew he was blushing. He only hoped the dim lighting had disguised it enough. “I… You’re important to me as well, Byleth…”

They stood in the hall for several long moments, neither sure they wanted to break contact. Eventually Seteth cleared his throat and tugged his hand out of the mercenary’s grip.

“Well, ah, good night, then, professor.” Seteth nearly muttered, turning toward the infirmary.

“Um, yes, good night…” Byleth echoed, also turning away.

Seteth hadn’t felt an energy like that since he was courting his late wife, an observation which had troubling connotations. He would think about what exactly that meant later; it wasn’t a problem for today’s Seteth. It was a problem for a future Seteth who was once again comfortable with not having his daughter in his line of sight at all times. A future Seteth who likely wasn’t opposed to the idea of courting the monastery’s new professor but would need to have a minor crisis about the implications of it before he came to any conclusions.

“…Father, you look positively smitten.”

Seteth, for the second time in half an hour, thought he was going to nearly have a heart attack. “Flayn!” He hissed. “What are you still doing out here? And mind your words, there could be prying ears around.”

“I returned to the infirmary, just as you asked, but when you did not immediately come to check on me, I feared for the worst.” Flayn grinned mischievously. “And do not fret. Everyone in the infirmary is asleep and no one else is near.”

“You can never be certain—”

“Seteth, you do know that you deserve to be happy, correct?”

Seteth blinked. “I… I am not sure what you are referring to.”

“Do not play dumb, father, it does not suit you. I simply mean to say that I think you and the professor…would get along very well.”

“Do not be _coy_, daughter, it does not suit you.” Seteth shot back, embarrassed that Flayn had been able to read him so well.

Flayn laughed. “Very well, if you insist.”

“I believe you are supposed to be resting, young lady.” Seteth said, eager to change the subject.

“Ah, to be young…” Flayn said wistfully. “But, you are correct. I did promise you that I would rest. Would you walk me back to the infirmary, dear father?”

“Of course. Anything for you, my dear daughter.”

**Author's Note:**

> gotta end that Somewhat Sad with some happy..... anyway hope yall enjoyed this uwu


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